How to Apply for Commercial Building Permits

One (1) original plus one (1) copy of the sealed plans, stamped “For Construction”

One (1) copy of the most recently recorded plat with the courthouse stamp showing the date the plat was recorded

Plan Review Fee (payable to the City of Savannah) - click here for Building Permit and Plan Review Fees document

Signed Water and Sewer Approval Form (click here for link). This form is required for all Commercial Building Renovation projects that have any impacts on the water and sewer systems or is a change of use of one or more areas in the building space. Note: In order to expedite the application review time, as of June 1, 2017, Development Services will not accept Commercial Building Renovation applications as noted above without the completed form. It is the applicant’s responsibility to have this form completed by the Water and Sewer Planning and Engineering Department. Once they have reviewed and signed this document, submit this document to Development Services with the Building Permit application. Contact Water and Sewer Planning and Engineering at 912-651-6573 for more information.

The City of Savannah uses a website called eTRAC for online permit tracking. For information on how to use this site to track your projects as they go through the permitting process, click here. There are Quick Reference Guides available, as well as more detailed PowerPoint presentation slides from when we did a training class to the local design community on how to use the website.

If the project is located within the Landmark Historic District, the Victorian District, Mid-City of Cuyler-Brownsville Phase I, an additional application must be submitted for design review. For information about requirements that apply within these special districts, contact the Historic Preservation Secretary at 912-651-1457.

Submit Building Permit Package to City of Savannah Development Services, Attn: Tammi Anderson, at:

5515 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31405 (by hand-delivery) OR

P.O. Box 1027, Savannah, GA 31402 (by mail)

Once the permit is approved after plan review is complete, a Georgia licensed contractor responsible for the construction work must sign for and pick up the permit.